Gannett Promotes Merritt to KREM-KSKN Spokane GM

R.J. Merritt has been named president and general manager of KREM-KSKN Spokane. He starts immediately at the Gannett Broadcasting duopoly, promoted from the director of sales position.

"RJ is a natural fit for this role," said Lynn Beall, executive VP, Gannett Broadcasting. "He knows the market inside and out, understands the competitive challenges first-hand and brings fresh thinking to the team. His passion, leadership and commitment to winning will move KREM and KSKN forward in exciting ways."

KREM-KSKN is a CBS-CW pair in DMA No. 73. When the stations were owned by Belo, Merritt graduated from the Belo Broadcast Sales Academy.

He succeeds James Aitken, who took on the VP/general manager job at Tribune's KDAF Dallas in late March. Merritt is a native of Washington and a graduate of Eastern Washington University.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.